Jewish divorce laws are in the news again as one woman brings her fight to obtain a Jewish “get” from her husband to social media in hopes of publicly pressuring him to hand over the only document that, under the rules of Orthodox Jewish law, makes a divorce between a Jewish man and wife final.
What exactly is a Jewish divorce “get”?
Simply put, when a husband and wife who practice Orthodox Judaism decide to divorce, in addition to obtaining a civil divorce, the couple must also follow Jewish divorce laws, including the granting of a a document given by a husband to a wife that declares the marriage over.
Referred to in the Talmud as a sefer k’ritut (scroll of cutting off), but more commonly referred to as a get, the document’s traditional text states that the woman is now free to marry another man.
In religious terms, the giving of a get is the final step in dissolving a Jewish marriage. Without it, as far as Jewish law is concerned, a couple remains married until the woman receives the get. In Orthodox circles, if the woman remarries without the get, her second marriage is considered an adulterous one, and her children are considered illegitimate.
We care about all our clients and understand that some divorce issues will need to be settled outside the realm of civil law. Whatever questions you may have concerning your divorce, we are here to provide all the support we can.